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World / Europe

Voting begins in Iceland's neck-and-neck EU referendum

Published: 29 Aug 2026 - 01:16 pm | Last Updated: 29 Aug 2026 - 01:18 pm
This aerial view taken on August 28, 2026, shows a panoramic view of Reykjavik, Iceland, with Hallgrimskirkja,  (Photo by Halldor KOLBEINS / AFP)

This aerial view taken on August 28, 2026, shows a panoramic view of Reykjavik, Iceland, with Hallgrimskirkja, (Photo by Halldor KOLBEINS / AFP)

AFP

Reykjavik: Icelanders began voting Saturday in a referendum expected to go down to the wire on whether to resume membership negotiations with the European Union, 13 years after they were suspended.

Voting stations opened at 9am (0900 GMT) and were to close at 10pm.

Opinion polls have indicated the two sides are very close, with the most recent Gallup survey crediting the 'No' camp with 51.6 percent of voter support and the 'Yes' camp with 48.4 percent, a gap within the statistical margin of error.